


Midnight Memories

by sociallyawkwardteen



Category: Septimus Heap - Angie Sage
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Septimus needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 05:13:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16298792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sociallyawkwardteen/pseuds/sociallyawkwardteen
Summary: Septimus often has nightmares from his time in the Young Army. Luckily, Marcia knows how to help afterwards.





	Midnight Memories

It was a still night. No breeze wafted through the empty streets, and the only thing that disturbed the unending silence was the bell clock which chimed twelve times, signalling that is waz midnight. The Castle was always a peaceful time for all to sleep in their homes, or the rare few that worked quietly, but even they would soon stop and rest. But in the Wizard Tower, on the twentieth floor in the personal rooms of the ExtraOrdinary Wizard and her three-months new Apprentice, all was not silence and calm. It was the opposite, for as soon as the clock chimed, the young ExtraOrdinary Apprentice grew restless, trapped within a nightmare. 

 

In young Septimus’ mind, he was back in the clutches of the Young Army, being forced awake and thrown into the woods on his own. The woods in his dreams seemed even darker and even much less pleasant than he ever experienced. Septimus was running through the woods, unsure from what, but his mind quickly supplied a pursuer. At first, it was a pack of wolverines that chased him, then it was the Hunter, before finally shifting into DomDaniel himself, who was laughing a yelling all forms of obscenities at Septimus. The ex-Young Army Expendable fell face down and found himself caught between the Necromancer and an impossibly high cliff. It was at this point that Septimus began to truly allow the panic in him to swell, and he screamed, loud and sharp. 

 

Outside of Septimus’ nightmare, the scream existed, quite loudly, and Marcia awoke suddenly, though not for the first time. The ExtraOrdinary Wizard wrapped her sleeping-robe around her tightly and ran for her Apprentice’s bedroom. She burst through the door to find a sadly familiar scene, as this happened often with her new Apprentice. 

 

“Septimus! Septimus, wake up!” Marcia yelled, running to Septimus’ side and attempting to be loud enough for Septimus to hear over his screams. It took several minutes of shaking and calling for Septimus to finally awaken. When he opened his eyes, his immediate reaction was panic. He wretched himself away from Marcia’s grasp and curled up tightly on his bed, arms protecting his head.

 

“Septimus? Are you alright?” Marcia asked gently, ignoring her own exhaustion and irritation at being awoken at midnight frequently. She received no reply for several minutes, but she sat on the bed patiently, waiting for Septimus to slow his heavy breaths. 

 

When Septimus’ breathing finally evened out, Marcia tried again, “Septimus?” He said nothing, but he lifted his head slightly so that he could see her through his sandy hair. 

 

“Another nightmare?” Marcia asked softly, holding her hand out to Septimus. He looked at her hand in confusion for a moment before slowly reaching for it and nodding. 

 

Marcia gently rubbed her thumb across his knuckles and said, “I get nightmares too sometimes, of that horrible Dungeon Number One. It’s quite awful. I can only imagine that you have many more things to fuel such nightmares, but know that you are safe now. Here in the Wizard Tower, nothing is going to harm you. Not on my watch. No practicer of  **Darke** or Young Army brute is going to get near you. Understand?” 

 

Septimus nodded again. He scooted towards Marcia on the bed to sit beside her then looked up at her somewhat shyly. 

 

“Would you mind staying here then? I don’t want to have another nightmare…” Septimus asked quietly, afraid to receive his answer. Marcia was surprised, but not entirely against the notion. It was clear to Marcia that Septimus did not desire to be alone after whatever horrors his mind had him live through. However, such a request is one meant to be made to one’s mother for comfort. Marcia was certainly not Septimus’ mother, nor did she have an particular desire to be anyone’s mother. But something, whether it was the fearful pleading in her Apprentice’s eyes or some deeper, more motherly part of her, compelled her to make her decision. 

 

“I wouldn’t mind at all.” Marcia said with a soft smile. Septimus’ shimmering green eyes showed the relief he felt so fully, and Marcia knew she made the correct choice. Septimus moved so that there was room for two people to share the bed. Marcia sat at the top of the bed, intending to leave not long after Septimus fell asleep again. Septimus sat beside her, instead of laying down as Marcia expected, and timidly put his head against her shoulder. She tensed slightly, she was not used to having to care for the physical and emotional needs of a child, much less a child that had been cut off from things such as this for his entire life. 

 

Marcia could tell that Septimus’ mind was still on the nightmare and said, “Would you like to hear a few stories about when I was Alther’s Apprentice? You may find some humor in it.” 

 

Septimus nodded, and, as she spoke, Marica wrapped her arm around Septimus’ shoulders and rested her head on top of his. It was not long until both ExtraOrdinary and Apprentice were asleep. And neither were bothered with nightmares the rest of that night. 


End file.
